Vertigo? U2 tower to be taller

@darkman wrote:

180m!!!!!!! This is more like it!:D Not sure whether they should have dropped the twisting design though.

Strangely the DDDA dont seem to acknowledge that it is 180m high?? They say 120m?

I have to ask is Frank McDonald sure about the height? It does not look 180m high?

Doesn’t he say that includes the wind turbines on top

Okay, so we have an idea of form – which is eye-catching – but that’s about it thus far. What is Foster’s love affair with night-time renderings?! Even with no planning hurdles to jump through and their requisite glitzy illuminated smoke screens, we still only get a dusky shot. Day-time is what matters.

Morlan, I would have thought the tower is deliberately tilted to the front?

Personally I feel the square shape of the previous tower, evenly denoting this special corner site from all viewpoints in the city, was a more elegant solution. I’m not sure how apt this multi-faceted tower is to such a location, but we’ll see how it pans out.

Ok we can summarise this as follows:

Hold a competition, appoint a winner, decide you don’t like it after all, have another one, change the brief, ignore the original parameters, accept the general consensus that Hadid’s scheme is the best and appoint a different starchitect who’s fees are being paid by the “client”. oh, and make it 1/3 taller than you were allowed to while you’re at it.

That’s what you want – consistency, competency, fairness and integrity. Rock n roll

Anybody seen what the Hadid design was? Any links or renders? Gotta say, I’m glad that the twisting design has gone. It seemed to me to be too much of a current trend to last the test of time…

“spectacular!!” designs aside….this whole thing is starting to turn into one big yawnfest. I mean how hard is it to design and build something!

Im a little confused about just what height this building is going to be. Frank McDonald says 180m in total yet on the DDDA website all it says is

The consortium’s architects, Foster + Partners, have proposed a stunning design for the 120 metre high tower and adjacent Britain Quay site uniquely situated at the confluence of three waterways, the River Liffey, River Dodder and Grand Canal. The inspirational building will include a public viewing platform at 100 metres

That would actually be a reduction of 10m:confused: :confused: :confused: If its 180m why dont the DDDA just say so!? Im confused – what height is it? Wind turbine sticking out of the top thatt would be 60m high would look rediculous surely.

180m!! are you kidding me?From practically no high rise building in land to a full blown skyscraper.Prefered the twisting tower as theres still very few of them around but any progress whatsoever is welcomed.Wheres the day time renders…

@Paul Clerkin wrote:

Entrance to building
http://ireland.archiseek.com/news/2007/000292b_lge.html

Looks cool, is that the road going through it? Kinda looks like it from the main picture. Big enough to take buses?

120m according to Brian Dobson (and who am I to argue?)

Good to see the objectors already making their voice heard (on this evenings news). Not sure if I can go along with the Ringsend resident group that only wants maritime-connected buildings to be built in this area.

I’m sure a brand-spanking new Whaling Station by David Chipperfield would fit right in, but it would bring environmental concerns of a wholly different sort….

British architect chosen to design U2 Tower
12/10/2007 – 18:06:25

Internationally renowned British architect Norman Foster was today announced as the visionary behind Ireland’s first skyscraper – the U2 Tower.

The €200m scheme, which will soar 120 metres over Dublin’s docklands, will house the iconic rock band’s egg-shaped recording studio at its peak.

It was commissioned by Geranger Ltd, a consortium including property developers Ballymore and U2 members Bono, The Edge, Larry Mullen Jnr and Adam Clayton.

Mr Foster, whose notable projects include the Gherkin in London and the Millau Viaduct in France, was chosen by Dublin’s Docklands Development Authority (DDDA) as the project‘s design winner.

Paul Maloney, DDDA Chief Executive, said: “We are delighted to have achieved our ambition of realising an inspirational landmark design, while at the same time maximising public usage and access.

“This design will be a very special building for Docklands and Dublin City while integrating the Britain Quay and U2 Tower buildings in a distinct and coherent fashion on the waterfront,” he said.

As well as the band’s recording studio, the inspirational building will include a public viewing platform at 100 metres, a public amenity area at the base, hotel, retail and residential accommodation including 20% social and affordable housing.

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“It will also provide visitors the opportunity to experience spectacular views across Dublin city and bay, and for the community offers significant social and affordable housing potential,” Mr Maloney said.

An original U2 Tower plan – a twisting structure designed by a Dublin-based architectural firm – was to be built at a height of just 60 metres.

But following a recent planning amendment for the area, the tower was redesigned and increased to 120 metres in height with an adjoining site added.

The announcement of preferred bidder status for Geranger Ltd followed a EU tendering process where submissions from four short-listed consortia were considered.

Mr Foster is an internationally acclaimed architect, having designed some of the world‘s most iconic structures.

These include the Millau Viaduct in France – the tallest vehicular bridge in the world – the Bilbao Metro and New York‘s Hearst Tower.

The U2 Tower will be located in the Grand Canal Dock area, where DDDA is working with some of the world’s leading architects on projects such as the Studio Libeskind-designed Grand Canal Theatre, the Manuel Aires Mateus designed hotel, and the recently opened Martha Schwartz designed Grand Canal Square.

Work on the landmark project is due to begin next year with a completion date expected by 2011.

For goodness sake I dont know why this 120m figure keeps doing the rounds. I hope the DDDA correct their press release before we end up talking ourselves into building a 120m tower instead of a 180m tower:rolleyes:

Someone has it wrong. Its either the Irish times or the rest of the media. In a way im thankful that RTE told that Ringsend resident it was 120m – imagine if they said, actually its 180m!